Hypothesize what would have happened had Franklin D. Roosevelt not declared war on japan?

Answer 1

Since the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and done considerable damage to the American fleet, I suspect that congress would have declared war on Japan if FDR had not asked congress to make such a move. It would have been more like what happened when the Battleship Maine was blown up in Havana Harbor. In that case the newspapers picked up the issue and got after congress until congress caved and declared war on Spain. I can see the headlines now. WHEN WILL CONGRESS ACT? After a few days and a large number of letters and telegraphs (an old predecessor of e-mail) congress would have caved. Congress would have declared war on Japan.